Written Answers Tuesday 21 February 2006

Scottish Executive

Alcohol Misuse

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting times are for alcohol detoxification and rehabilitation services, broken down by NHS board.

Lewis Macdonald: This information is not collected centrally.

Audiology

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when NHS Scotland Information Services Division’s data collection system for audiology services will be operational.

Lewis Macdonald: The data collection system is currently being piloted by Information Services Division in the Southern General Hospital, Glasgow. The pilot will be completed by the end of February 2006. We expect that thereafter the new system will be rolled out nationally during 2006.

Audiology

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether NHS Scotland Information Services Division’s data collection system for audiology services will provide a detailed breakdown of waiting times for each NHS board and, if so, over what period of time.

Lewis Macdonald: The data collection system developed by Information Services Division will collect information on the maximum waiting time from referral to assessment, and from assessment to fitting of hearing aids. The data will be available on a quarterly basis.

Carers

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to the UK Government in respect of pension provisions for people who are carers of elderly or disabled family members.

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it monitors the standard of living of people who are carers of elderly or disabled family members.

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what research it has commissioned on the impact on personal savings of providing care for elderly or disabled family members.

Lewis Macdonald: The recent report The future of unpaid care in Scotland arose out of a wide ranging study commissioned by the Scottish Executive to help us plan for the support needs of unpaid carers over the next 10 years. The study looked at a wide range of issues, including the financial implications of caring and financial support for carers. This led to a specific recommendation that the UK Government review benefit entitlements, tax credit and pensions for carers. On 30 September 2005, I wrote to the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, as well as other relevant UK Ministers, to draw their attention to the report and that recommendation.

  We do not otherwise monitor incomes or savings of family carers.

Cities

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it would welcome having seven legal Scottish cities with legal status instead of the current six cities.

Mr Tom McCabe: Whilst cities provide a focal point, they must also interact with their surrounding areas. Scotland’s economic strength depends not only on the economic success of its cities but also on the wider city-regions. This is reflected in a number of policy statements such as the: National Planning Framework for Scotland1, Framework for Economic Development in Scotland2,  the revised Smart Successful Scotland3 , and the Infrastructure Investment Plan4 . It is also reflected in Scottish Enterprise’s Operating Plan 2005-08. All of these take an explicitly spatial approach to economic development.

  Links:

  1. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/planning/npf04-00.asp.

  2. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/government/feds-00.asp.

  3 http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/enterprise/sssen.pdf.

  4 http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/finance/iipifs-00.asp.

Cities

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact a seventh Scottish city with legal status would have on its (a) current Cities Growth Fund, (b) Building a Better Scotland programme and (c) future planning for the Building a Better Scotland and City Region programmes.

Mr Tom McCabe: The monies assigned to the Cities Growth Fund 2003-08 have been fully allocated to Scotland’s six cities. Decisions on funding allocations after 2007-08 will be taken in due course following the next spending review.

  Building a Better Scotland is not a city specific programme; rather it is a spending strategy which sets out how the devolved administration in Scotland will allocate resources to meet its objectives of: growing the economy for the benefit of all in Scotland; delivering excellent public services for all; supporting stronger safer communities, and developing a confident, democratic Scotland.

Cities

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it would give its endorsement to an official bid by Perth and Kinross Council for Perth to gain legal city status.

Mr Tom McCabe: City status is a reserved matter for the UK Government. Should there be a further city status competition, the Scottish Executive would be given the opportunity to comment on any applications submitted by local authorities in Scotland. It would be premature to speculate on what future applications might be submitted, or their respective merits, in advance of any such future competition.

DNA Samples

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which suppliers of DNA profiles from Scotland to the National DNA Database have undertaken research projects using the database since 1995.

Cathy Jamieson: No suppliers of DNA profiles from Scotland to the National DNA Database have undertaken research projects using the database.

DNA Samples

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which suppliers of DNA profiles from Scotland to the National DNA Database have undertaken research projects using DNA samples collected by the police in Scotland.

Cathy Jamieson: No suppliers of DNA profiles from Scotland to the National DNA Database have undertaken research projects using DNA samples collected by the police in Scotland.

DNA Samples

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which universities have undertaken research projects using DNA profiles or samples collected by the police in Scotland.

Cathy Jamieson: No universities have undertaken research projects using DNA samples collected by the police in Scotland. No research is carried out on the profiles and samples which are held by the Scottish DNA Database and it does not export samples to the National DNA Database.

  Information is not held on whether DNA profiles collected by the police in Scotland have been used in research projects by the National DNA Database.

DNA Samples

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which companies have undertaken research projects using DNA profiles or samples collected by the police in Scotland.

Cathy Jamieson: No companies have undertaken research projects using DNA samples collected by the police in Scotland. No research is carried out on the profiles and samples which are held by the Scottish DNA Database and it does not export samples to the National DNA Database.

  Information is not held on whether DNA profiles collected by the police in Scotland have been used in research projects by the National DNA Database.

Deafblind People

Mr Kenneth Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made towards issuing statutory guidance to local authorities to improve services for people with sensory impairments, including deafblind people.

Mr Kenneth Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish guidance in respect of community care services for deafblind people.

Lewis Macdonald: This guidance, to be issued under Section 5(1) of the Social work (Scotland) Act 1968, is being developed as part of implementation of the Sensory Impairment Action Plan, which is designed to improve community care services for all adults with a sensory impairment in Scotland. A small group of representative interests consisting of local authorities, service users and other professionals is currently undertaking this work, and it is anticipated that it will be issued by summer 2006.

Economy

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how the projected economic growth figures for the Scottish Borders over the next 10 years compare with the Scottish average.

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how the projected economic growth figures for East Lothian over the next 10 years compare with the Scottish average.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive does not produce forecasts of economic growth.

Education

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-15019 by Peter Peacock on 18 March 2005 and to information provided in Exclusions from Schools 2004-05, how many appeals against (a) temporary exclusions and (b) removals from the register were (i) successful and (ii) unsuccessful in each year since 1997.

Peter Peacock: The following table shows appeals against exclusion in 2004-05 by exclusion type and the outcome of the appeal.

  Appeals Against Exclusion from School, 2004-05

  

 
Temporary Exclusion
Removal from Register
Total


Unsuccessful appeals
21
5
26


Appeal decision pending
3
-
3


Successful appeals
split not available
18



  Information on successful appeals cannot be broken down by type of exclusion as once an appeal has succeeded the data relating to the exclusion is removed from the school record.

  This detail was not available prior to 2004-05.

Environment

Mark Ballard (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what trends it has identified from measuring progress against the 24 sustainability indicators introduced in April 2002.

Ross Finnie: Information on the trends in the current set of sustainable development indicators is published in Indicators of Sustainable Development for Scotland: Progress Report 2005 published in August 2005, ISBN 0-7559-2695-1.

Environment

Mark Ballard (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to use the revised set of sustainability indicators announced in paragraph 14.16 of Choosing Our Future: Scotland's Sustainable Development Strategy .

Ross Finnie: The revised set of sustainable development indicators will be used to measure progress across the different dimensions of sustainable development.

Environment

Mark Ballard (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether differences between the initial set of sustainability indicators introduced in April 2002 and those announced in December 2005 will affect comparison between the two.

Ross Finnie: A revised set of sustainable development indicators will be published at the end of March 2006. Any changes in comparability between the two sets will be clearly set out.

Environment

Mark Ballard (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish data in respect of sustainability indicators on a quarterly basis, as is the case for GDP.

Ross Finnie: A revised set of sustainable development indicators will be published at the end of March 2006. The frequency of reporting is based on what is appropriate for each individual indicator. For the majority of indicators data are collated on an annual basis.

Environment

Mark Ballard (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to review the options for additional and improved ways of measuring progress in respect of sustainability announced in paragraph 14.18 of Choosing Our Future: Scotland's Sustainable Development Strategy .

Ross Finnie: The Executive will review the options for additional and improved ways of measuring progress to reflect a broad view of progress - capturing well-being, quality of life and environmental issues. The findings will be reported publicly by the end 2006.

Environment

Mark Ballard (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the baseline report on NHS Scotland’s sustainable development performance, announced in paragraph 15.13 of Choosing Our Future: Scotland's Sustainable Development Strategy , will include a measure of national well-being.

Ross Finnie: There will be no specific measure of national well-being included in the proposed baseline report on NHSScotland’s performance. The proposal is to produce a report similar in scope to the English NHS report Claiming the Health Dividend , produced by the King’s Fund which assessed performance across a range of critical areas. By adopting this approach it is hoped to gain an insight into how NHSScotland’s activities help underpin the sustainable development agenda and contribute to the national well-being.

Environment

Mark Ballard (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the baseline report on NHS Scotland’s sustainable development performance, announced in paragraph 15.13 of Choosing Our Future: Scotland's Sustainable Development Strategy , will be made available to the public.

Ross Finnie: Yes.

Ferry Services

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many passenger ferry companies have sought to tender for the Gourock to Dunoon ferry service and whether it will list (a) the names of such companies and (b) the locations of their headquarters.

Tavish Scott: Three companies remain in the bidding process for operating the Gourock to Dunoon ferry service on an unsubsidised basis. The three companies submitted Pre-Qualification Questionnaires to the Executive in December last year and these are currently being evaluated. However, the Executive’s policy in procurement exercises such as this is not to reveal the identities of the companies submitting Pre-Qualification Questionnaires. When the current stage of the process has been completed, and a suitable tender list has been identified, the names of the companies that have been selected for the tender list will be revealed. This is likely to be in the spring.

First Minister

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many visits the First Minister made to local authorities in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority.

Mr Tom McCabe: The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Fresh Talent Initiative

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-22294, S2W-22295 and S2W-22296 by Mr Tom McCabe on 23 January 2006, whether it (a) intends to collect this information and (b) has asked the Home Office for any of this information and, if so, what specific information it has requested and when it will be able to make any information on the skill levels, employment sectors and qualification status of migrants under the Fresh Talent initiative publicly available.

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-22294, S2W-22295 and S2W-22296 by Mr Tom McCabe on 23 January 2006, what information it currently holds on the skill levels, employment sectors and qualifications of migrants to Scotland under the Fresh Talent initiative.

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-22294, S2W-22295 and S2W-22296 by Mr Tom McCabe on 23 January 2006, when it expects to be able to provide the information requested on migrants to Scotland under the Fresh Talent initiative.

Mr Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the answers to questions S2W-22294, S2W-22295 and S2W-22296 on 23 January 2006. This information is not available. Due to the variety of ways in which individuals move to Scotland, this information would be very difficult to collect, and we have no current plans to do so. We are, however, issuing a questionnaire to all successful applicants to the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme, asking such questions, and we intend to publish the information collected from these questionnaires on a regular basis. I expect to be able to publish the first of these reports in the coming months.

Fresh Talent Initiative

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it maintains the position that the Fresh Talent initiative is not restricted to attracting university or further education graduates as migrants to Scotland.

Mr Tom McCabe: When we published New Scots: Attracting Fresh Talent to Meet the Challenge of Growth in February 2004, we identified five target groups for the Fresh Talent Initiative. These are international students, those looking for employment, entrepreneurs interested in setting up businesses, Scots living outwith Scotland who may consider returning to Scotland, and businesses who might benefit from the recruitment of workers from outwith Scotland.

Ministerial Visits

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many ministerial visits to local authorities took place in each year since 1999, broken down by (a) local authority and (b) minister.

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many invitations to visit local authorities were declined by ministers in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority.

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many visits ministers made to each local enterprise company in each year since 1999.

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many new business openings ministers attended in each year since 1999, broken down by company and location.

Mr Tom McCabe: The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

People with Learning Disabilities

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will promote the inclusion of young people with learning disabilities in their own communities.

Lewis Macdonald: The same as you? national implementation group is preparing a children’s report, which illustrates how the principles of The same as you? apply to people of all ages including children and young people. Whilst education and the transition to adult life are major features of the report, it also has a strong focus on the importance of health, play and leisure. The report, due for publication in spring 2006, emphasises the responsibilities of all organisations and individuals in ensuring young people with learning disabilities are included and given the same opportunities as everybody else.

  The Standards in Scotland’s Schools Act (2000) strengthened the rights of parents of children with special educational needs to have their children educated in mainstream schools, providing children with the opportunity to play, learn and socialise together. Furthermore the further education sector has made great efforts in recent years to make college provision accessible and inclusive to all those who wish to study and participation by students with disabilities or additional support needs has increased year on year.

  For details of further work to promote the inclusion of young people with learning disabilities in their own communities, I refer the member to the answers to questions S2W-22677, S2W-22678, S2W-22679, S2W-22680, S2W-22681, S2W-22682 and S2W-22683 on 13, 9, 21, 10, 7, 2 and 9 February respectively. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

People with Learning Disabilities

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been allocated to spend in (a) 2005-06 and (b) 2006-07 on further education for young people with learning disabilities.

Nicol Stephen: Information on funding allocated for spend on further education for young people with learning disabilities is not held centrally.

  The core funding which further education colleges receive from the Scottish Funding Council goes towards meeting the needs of all students, however some students have additional support needs which may require additional funding. The Scottish Funding Council make two additional allocations which are bursary allocations and inclusiveness funding.

  Bursary allocations are paid to colleges to enable them to implement the National Policy for further education bursaries. In 2005-06 this allocation was £52.2 million. Part of the policy enables colleges to pay an additional learning needs allowance, which may be offered to a disabled student towards study or travel-related expenses. This allowance is not means-tested as it is intended to help meet the additional costs that students have due to their disability.

  Inclusiveness formula funding is paid to colleges to enable them to take forward the inclusiveness agenda as defined by the Beattie report in 1999. In 2005-06, this allocation was £1.6 million.

Physical Education

Bill Aitken (Glasgow) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that weekly PE targets for schoolchildren in Glasgow are met.

Peter Peacock: Local authorities have been informed they will receive, in total, an additional £18 million in 2006 and £44 million in 2007 to support the recruitment of additional teachers, including PE teachers, to meet the uplift in teacher numbers to 53,000 by 2007. Of this, Glasgow City Council is to receive £2.6 million in 2006-07 and £6.5 million in 2007-08. Support will also be given to help existing primary teachers to gain professional recognition for specialisms in PE.

  In addition Glasgow University, in conjunction with Glasgow City Council, is running a course for existing primary teachers to develop PE specialisms which will help to ensure that weekly physical education targets for schoolchildren in Glasgow are met. 23 teachers with PE specialisms are expected to qualify from this course in July 2006.

Rail Network

Rosie Kane (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much capital funding it allocated for investment in the construction of new rail lines and stations in each year since 1999 and what estimates are available for future years.

Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive has a capital investment programme in transport over 2003-13 of £3 billion. Of this, an estimated £1.7 billion (including £375 million for trams) will be invested in rail in Scotland.

  Since 1999, the Scottish Executive has allocated capital awards for specific projects. Those involving the construction of new rail lines and stations include:

  

Year of Award
Total Amount of Award (Million)
Project


1999-2000
£0.5
Edinburgh CrossRail - £0.500m


2000-01
£4.28
Edinburgh CrossRail - £3m.Gartcosh station - £1.26m.
Re-location of Stranraer station - £0.02m.


2001-02
£7.076
Edinburgh CrossRail - £5.001m.Re-location of Stranraer station - £1m.
Borders rail line £975k.Re-location of Gourock Interchange - £0.1m.


2002-03
£3.52
Borders rail line £740k.Re-location of Gourock Interchange - £1.45m.
Re-location of Stranraer station- £1.33m.


2003-041
£2.7
Stirling Alloa Kincardine - £2.3m.
Borders rail link £400k.


2004-05
£28.2
Larkhall Milngavie re-opening of lines - £25m.
Gartcosh station - £0.5m.
Stirling Alloa Kincardine rail line - £2.7m.


2005-06
£12.8
Stirling Alloa Kincardine rail line - £12.8m.



  Note: 1. A further £1.95 million was allocated towards the relocation of Gourock interchange, but it was agreed to re-allocate this to a future financial year once the full funding package is secured.

  Transport Scotland has the operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more information if required.

Rendition Flights

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of any flights into airports operated by Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd by aircraft chartered by the CIA, or by agencies to whom services have been outsourced by the CIA, and, if so, when it became aware of such flights and how frequent they have been.

Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive has no evidence that airports anywhere in Scotland, including those operated by Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd, have been used by aircraft by or on behalf of the CIA.

Rendition Flights

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether its permission, or that of Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL) management, was requested for flights by aircraft chartered by the CIA, or by agencies to whom the CIA has outsourced services, to land at airports operated by HIAL, and, if so, what response was given.

Tavish Scott: Neither the Scottish Executive nor Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL) has received any requests for flights operated by or on behalf of the CIA to land at airports operated by HIAL.

Rendition Flights

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of any illegal transportation of prisoners on flights by the CIA, or by agencies to whom the CIA has outsourced services, landing at airports operated by Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd and, if so, when it became aware of such transportation.

Cathy Jamieson: I would refer the member to the answers to questions S2W-22495 on 2 February 2006, S2W-22576 and S2W-22577 on 10 February 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found on http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Rendition Flights

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has ever authorised the transportation of prisoners via airports operated by Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd to a third country and, if so, whether, where appropriate for it to do so, it has sought assurances regarding the conditions under which such prisoners are held.

Cathy Jamieson: I would refer the member to the answer to question S2W-22577 on 10 February 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Renewable Energy

Shiona Baird (North East Scotland) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the testing points at the European Marine Energy Centre have been occupied in each month since the centre was opened.

Nicol Stephen: One wave test berth has been reserved by a developer since 1 May 2004, in advance of the official opening in August that year. A number of other wave device developers have expressed a firm interest in testing at the site, and the centre is in regular contact with potential users.

  The tidal test site is due to become operational later this year.

Roads

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent on providing Gaelic signage on Highland trunk roads under completed contracts; how much is to be spent under contracts not yet completed, and what estimates have been made in respect of future contracts.

Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive has made good progress in implementing the policy, announced in January 2003, to provide bilingual signs on the A82 trunk road between Tarbet and Inverness and on those west coast trunk roads that pass through mainland communities where Gaelic is spoken and lead to the Western Isles ferry ports of Kennacraig, Oban, Uig and Ullapool.

  Almost £1 million has already been invested in providing signs on the A87, A887, A830 and the A835. Work on the A828 at an estimated cost of £230,000 is scheduled to be undertaken within financial year 2006-07. Work on the A85, A82 and the A83 at an estimated cost of £1,600,000 is scheduled to be undertaken from 2007-08 onwards.

  Transport Scotland has the operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more information if required.

Scottish Executive Advertising

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has spent on advertising in The Herald in each of the last five years.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Executive advertising spend with The Herald is as follows:

  

Financial Year
Spend


2002-03 (1 January to 31 March 2003)
£33,300


2003-04
£35,700


2004-05
£66,076


2005-06 (to 31 January 2006)
£24,673


Total
£159,749

Scottish Executive Advertising

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has spent on advertising in the Evening Times in each of the last five years.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Executive advertising spend with the Evening Times  is as follows:

  

Financial Year
Spend


2002-03 (1 January to 31 March 2003)
£37,620


2003-04
£45,054


2004-05
£27,855


2005-06 (to 31 January 2006)
£12,791


Total
£123,320

Scottish Executive Advertising

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has spent on advertising in the Sunday Herald in each of the last five years.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Executive advertising spend with the Sunday Herald is as follows:

  

Financial Year
Spend


20023-03 (1 January to 31 March 2003)
£11,988


2003-04
£19,558


2004-05
£13,277


2005-06 (to 31 January 2006)
£9,206


Total
£54,029

Scottish Executive Advertising

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has spent on advertising through the Newsquest group in each of the last five years.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Executive advertising spend with the Newsquest Group is as follows:

  

Financial Year
Spend


2003-04
£107,512


2004-05
£107,208


2005-06 (to 31 January 2006)
£49,550


Total
£264,270

Scottish Executive Staff

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it operates a policy of flexible working hours in respect of its own employees.

Mr Tom McCabe: In line with its aim of helping staff to achieve a satisfactory work life balance, the Scottish Executive offers flexible working hours to all of it’s employees, in it’s core departments, including part-time staff and senior civil servants. A small number of employees who work shifts are excluded.

Scottish Executive Staff

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has spent on its staff attending external conferences in each of the last seven years, broken down by department.

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many external conferences its staff have attended in each of the last seven years, broken down by department.

Mr Tom McCabe: This information is not held centrally.

Social Work

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many newly qualified social workers have been employed in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority area.

Robert Brown: This is a matter for individual employers. The information requested is not collected centrally.

Social Work

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many vacancies there are for social workers, broken down by grade and local authority area.

Robert Brown: The latest vacancy figures for local authority social workers, broken down by grade and local authority area, are published on the Scottish Executive website at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/02/06165620/0.

  Information on vacancy levels in the independent sector is not collected centrally.

Tartan Day

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what specific action it has taken to use the Tartan Day celebrations in New York to attract people, particularly expatriate Scots, to live and work in Scotland.

Mr Tom McCabe: The 2006 Tartan Day programme will include a large number of events that will showcase Scotland as a place to visit, live and work. The Executive works with private, public and voluntary sector bodies in Scotland and in the USA to co-ordinate the programme.

Voluntary Sector

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-21186 by Robert Brown on 27 January 2006, what the wider criteria referred to are for the Children, Young People and Families Unified Voluntary Sector Fund.

Robert Brown: The current criteria are:

  to deliver better outcomes for vulnerable and deprived children and young people;

  to protect children – through effective early intervention with children and families and/or support when they need protection;

  to improve the health, education and care of children and young people who are affected by disability and/or who have special educational needs/additional support needs;

  to assist in meeting the health needs of children and young people by engaging in health initiatives complementary to those required by statute;

  to deliver better outcomes for children, young people and families from ethnic minorities;

  to promote the rights and reflect the views of all children and young people – especially those who are vulnerable or deprived;

  to enhance the physical, mental and emotional development and well-being of all children and young people by promoting healthier, more positive lifestyles through social inclusion, lifelong learning and active citizenship, and

  to provide mediation and counselling services for families/couples experiencing stress or in transition.

Voluntary Sector

Dr Jean Turner (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the current freeze on new applications to the Children, Young People and Families Unified Voluntary Sector Fund, when it will review the fund in order to ensure that it is able to meet growing demand for services provided by the voluntary sector.

Robert Brown: A review of the fund, including its aims and objectives, is at an early stage. We will involve the voluntary sector in this review and will announce the outcome in good time for voluntary organisations to prepare for the 2007-08 funding round.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Scottish Public Services Ombudsman

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what monitoring is in place with regard to the operation of the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman.

John Scott: The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman was established under The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman Act 2002. Paragraph 2(2) of schedule 1 of this act provides that the ombudsman, in the exercise of her functions is not subject to the direction or control of any member of Parliament, any member of the Scottish Executive or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body.

  Separate provision does, however, require the ombudsman to lay an annual report before Parliament and the Parliament may give directions as to the form and content of an annual report. Copies of the annual report are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre. The ombudsman must also keep accounts and prepare annual accounts for each financial year in accordance with such directions as Scottish ministers may give.

  In terms of the Act, the SPCB has to pay any expenses incurred by the ombudsman in the exercise of her functions. As part of this process, the SPCB invites the ombudsman on an annual basis to prepare a budget submission which is scrutinised by the SPCB and which scrutiny may include discussions between the SPCB and the Ombudsman prior to the bid being reported to the Finance Committee as part of the SPCB’s overall budget submission.

Scottish Public Services Ombudsman

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what the operating cost of the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman has been in each year since the office’s inception.

John Scott: The operating costs of the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman since the office’s inception on 23 October 2002 are as follows:

  

 
2002-03 (part year)
2003-04
2004-05


Operating costs
£163,000*
£2,779,228*
£2,169,000



  Note: *These figures include costs associated with the setting up of the new office.